Beware a mother bear

Mikhail Shatenev's Image

Sleep? No chance. Mikhail kept his eyes fixed on the taiga – snow forest – around the hide and bait. As a female Eurasian brown bear wandered by with its cubs a raven edged too close. Powered by a protective instinct the bear roared towards it, the raven fleeing in the nick of time.

When bears emerge from hibernation, hungry males will not hesitate to attack small cubs, so females have reason to be easily spooked. The chances of seeing Eurasian brown bears in spring time are mixed. The bears usually wouldn’t leave their denning areas, which are across the border in Russia, until June.


Behind the lens

Mikhail Shatenev

Mikhail Shatenev

Russia

Mikhail has loved wildlife photography since he was six years old, when he won second place in the Saint Petersburg Wildlife Photography Club competition. His parents are also photographers. He thinks wildlife photography is the best way to show the beauty, diversity and fragility of nature. Michael has also won prizes in the Golden Turtle and Oasis photography competitions.

Image details

  • Canon EOS 60D
  • 300mm f4 lens
  • 1/1000 sec at f7.1
  • Kainuu, Finland
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